


Solidarity

by Beauty_Rush



Category: Daredevil (TV), Iron Fist (TV), Luke Cage (TV), The Punisher (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-26
Packaged: 2019-05-13 06:45:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 15
Words: 15,552
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14743919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beauty_Rush/pseuds/Beauty_Rush
Summary: Nina hadn't always been this deprived, she used to gain from her interactions in life. Though, she supposed, it had something to do with the horrible situations she's dealt with. Her life seemingly building up to challenge her back.She knows one thing for sure, she was going to put a substantial amount of work into changing that. Challenging back is what she did well, influenced by broken heroes along the way.





	1. The Very Start of Everything

She was the youngest, a majority of the rest had been army brats before coming in as cadets. Everyone in their building had just met but the other groups had been experienced. Come to assist in their training after years of being here. She looked at their ‘trainers’, lined up and regarding them with forced disgust.

       She left little behind to come here so she had to make do. They would make sure she had a purpose. That she was fed and safe; for now it was all she could hope for. Being young she figured she was the best version of herself. Mold-able and willing is what they were looking for? Then she would bend as much as she could and stick a smile on her face. She was positive she could do this.

      Her focus was on the men who screamed at the cadets in front. Watching as they fanned out to get to each of them. She could only make out the name tag on the one closest to her, the most amused man. Hoyle. They all seemed like they were on vacation, though they bellowed confusing orders she noticed they exchanged small smirks with each other. She furrowed her eyebrows but it drew the attention of the one she found most intimidating.

      He had straight as shit posture like he had a stick up his ass but she brushed the thought off quickly under his stare. Laughing at his expense was not an option here. 

      He marched to her, “You confused or gotta take a shit?”

      She but her lip to stifle her smile poorly. “Neither.” Nina replied, expecting that to be the end of it so they could all move on with their introduction.

      He stomped closer, “Neither, **what**?” His voice made her jump in how it changed into demanding.

      “Neither, sir.” She was faltering under him, she knew she was expected to but she was actually doing it. Her eyes glanced down to see his name tag. She read the bold, all caps quickly. Castle.

The lean one came closer to join in her hazing, seemed to read her mind just as quick, “You think you got this all figured out?” His voice matched his face, charming.

       She shook her head, looking at his as well. Russo. “No, sir.” Her throat already hurt from screaming.

      “I think you do! Are you saying I’m wrong?” Russo challenged her and she paused, another bad decision on her part.

      “No, sir.” She shook her head in hopes it would further convince him she meant it.

      Castle stared her down for an even longer pause. Shaking his head and pointing to the dirt. Turning away from her to show his disappointment. “Just drop and start counting.” She did it before he could turn, “N—.” He stopped his yell short when he did turn to find her pacing herself. Without hesitation this time, she didn't think, just did.

       It was not what she pictured. “Count them out!” She was already tired after her first ten, feeling futile as she hadn’t counted them. She started, embarrassed by her struggle being clear in her voice. He let her go until she got to fifty, her elbows locking. Her hands were cramping from the uneven ground. She breathed through her nose harshly to prevent any grunts as her arms shook.

       One of them whistled above her, she ignored it. Focusing on Castle next to her as she struggled to inhale deeply. “You think this was gonna be a cake walk?”

      Nina felt defeated, closing her eyes past her dripping sweat. “No, sir.” 

      Castle got on his knee next to her, shoving her shoulder roughly.  “Then get up.” She wanted to cry but it didn’t matter if she did or not. Instead she sucked it up, pushing herself up by her sore hands.

“Yes, sir.” It was easier to put her repressed anger into her responses. Able to shout it out then get back to it.  

       “We got ourselves a new bunch of pussies.” An older man stepped forward, voice low and rough like Castles. His long and unimpressed face observing the rows of them. Routine emanated from this newer man. He seemed like he was here the longest if his graying hair was of any consideration.

The three others rushed to stand beside him, at attention.

“You start without me, Castle?” His eyes stopped to her panting stature. She was still standing attention herself despite her confusion.

Castle shrugged at the group, smiling at the general. “Wouldn’t dream of it.” It made sense now, the whistle. They really were having their own fun before they began. Nina would have smiled had it not been at her own expense.

       “This one just the runt then?” She didn’t move to wipe the sweat off her face in fear of being reprimanded still. The man silently and expertly picked at her state, a few small letters before his name telling her all she needed to know. Two small arrows facing upwards. Colonel Schoonover, puffed his chest when her shoulders deflated. “Tell me, cadet. Would you say any of these men caused you undue stress?” He leaned close as though the question would be a secret...with everyone around them quiet as can be. Nina knew she wasn’t about to snitch on the three. Seeing as this was _their_   general it seemed to reason that they could make it worse. They just busted her balls, she would get over it.

      It was her fault for being too intimidated to look for their ranks. Even then, they outranked her.

       She shook her head, looking past the older man to the horizon to steady her voice. “No, sir.” She relaxed internally at his content grin.

      “I like the respect.” His face dropped in a moment, “But you **clearly** have no respect for me.” She felt lost at the change, looking to the three behind him for answers yet finding none. “You know why I would feel that way, Cadet?”

       “I’ll tell you," He grinned, waving his finger to bring her closer.

      "It’s because I issued you that gorgeous uniform…and you just shit all over it.”  Bringing himself unbearably close with every word, voice increasing in volume until she felt it in her own chest.

He was furious as he pointed out the flaws to her. The dirt on her front and knees, wrinkles from her effort to stay up running over the once crisp sleeves. He even mentioned how her boots were already scuffed. Not all over. Just on the very front of them.

      “You represent our great country so you will always _be_ presentable.” She _had_ been. “Give me twenty.” He walked proudly back to address the group as a hole.

      It was over. A one-sided argument once again leading to her mentally screaming back ‘ _Fuck you!’_ She was conscious of her eyes narrowing at the three who gawked at the old man inconspicuously.

She dropped again, no choice. She didn’t think being assholes was very educational but she would give this her best.

Even if right now she wanted to go a few rounds with the big-nosed son of a bitch.


	2. Excercise One - Field Navigation

The purpose of this exercise was to be scoring points. Proving they could navigate the field, no matter what terrain or tools they had.

       Back and forth over the course of months, she learned as much as she could to shove back in… _certain_ peoples faces. She learned who her hazers were by heart after a week of answering to them. Frank Castle, big guy. Curtis Hoyle, kind eyes. And Billy Russo, Mr. charming. She was constantly trying to get a position on Hoyle’s teams but Frank seemed determined to break her. She was too exhausted to care what Russo did.

       Currently, she was mostly tired of pretending her ‘partner’ wasn’t directing them away from the only interest she had, the field exercises.

       Daniel Krasinski was a thin, tall man who hated her. She may have deserved any strong feelings of dislike due to her reprimands becoming others problems, but not the way he  _hated_ her. Naturally they shipped them as a pair, not caring how they irked each other. 

       Their pre-arranged ambush was what she wanted to get to and he was leading them off track. She saw the four sections they split them in on the board, clear as day just before they were driven out here. 

“I know what the hell I’m doing.” He glanced behind himself at her, barely concealing his eyes rolling. Krasinski had been tense since they were paired, setting her on edge.

       Nina bit her lip, “Do you?” She mumbled, “Look, I know it’s gotta be that way so maybe it’s written wrong?” She knew where it was, she just wanted to get another look without his heated glare on her back.

      Reaching for it had him jerk it from her, “I got it.”

      She tilted her head, sighing heavily with her hand outstretched. “Let me see.”

      He turned his back to her, marching away and leaving her to try and catch up. “I got it!”

      She pushed the branches from her face, “What’s your issue with me?” At least they were finally headed the right direction. He spun on her and she planted her feet, ready for his outburst.

       He just wanted to show his disgust to her, however. “Like you don’t know. Fuckin favorite.” She shook her head, her own anger getting to her.

“Me doing well irritatin you? Aw, suck it up.” She mocked him, they still had another group to meet before they could do the ambush then march back to base. They were supposed to be a team. “I’m trying to help you.” He was only benefiting from this pairing so why was he so against her. She tried to set her hand on his shoulder, to talk through it but he shoved her away.

“I don’t want it, goddamn.” He stepped closer and she shot her arm forward before she could stop herself, her fist hitting him right in the nose. He recoiled to curse, pausing to spit blood from his mouth, debating to fight. They both debated it.

       He tackled her and they tumbled in the dry dirt. Their heavy gear propelling them. Fists flying while she kicked his ribs. He pinned her then she couldn’t stop herself, not realizing her glove had come off she scratched his face. Nails scrapping skin.

       The fight was over but they had rolled somewhere unrecognizable. She felt content with how he still slumped and howled in pain beside her. Fucking asshole. He deserved it, whatever his new issue with her was. Voices whispered around them and she rose to find the group. Krasinski was bound to follow if he didn’t want to be stuck alone.

       When they met up at base Commander Schoonover gave them a sharp glare, not letting it go unnoticed but saying nothing in reprimand. There shouldn’t have been contact when there were no enemies clearly, but they earned their points to pass. The other group bought his animal attack story and she said nothing to bring their conflict to another head. She didn’t even feel the blood thickly mixing with her hair under her helmet.

       It was easier for her to attempt to shuffle past to their designated building but Frank made her stand at attention for him. Lifting her hair to see her temple, “What happened to your team? Krasinski fought a racoon but it ain’t this bad.”

      She brushed his hand away, he was so professional when they all grouped together but individually she felt uncomfortable with his concern. It was as brazen as he was but just as casual. Reminding her of family.

      “At ease.” Castle looked down the hall at the others retreating backs.

       Nina wiped the blood away with the back of her hand, setting her helmet back on to cover it when she felt how wet it was. “Nothing ok?”

      He hummed in half-assed belief in her answer. “Well Curtis said he heard some talk.” Frank seemed like he was testing her reaction so she gave none, shrugging instead.

      “Why do I care?” Her disinterest pooled in her creased feature. Like the sun was too bright. 

      He chuckled, “Apparently Allison broke up with him, he’s real crushed. First love, you know?” She nodded in understanding, setting her hand on her mouth in mock concern. He fought her over some chick? She made a mental note to visit him again for being so simple.

       “On top of his shit mood is his busted face, know anything about that?” He narrowed his eyes, sighing when she shook her head no.  “Look, if he hit you first then you should report it.” Nina didn’t see the issue, it was over with.

      “Since when have we reported pissing contests?” She wasn’t going to make a big deal of it. 

This whole place made them all into exhausted shells, easily filled on conflict and set to blow.


	3. Exercise Two - Infiltration

       They were teamed for the Urban Terrain practice. Her and Krasinski. The fact they weren’t using unloaded guns was making her hyper aware of his… _grudge_ , against her. Nina had to be confident he wouldn’t shoot her in the open range under the instructors scrutiny. The building had been shaped by their instructors, probably Frank. He seemed to be all too wiling to challenge them all. She was ready for it this time. Feeling stronger than she ever had, she had felt weak too. All of it balanced.

       She kept her gun high, finger ready to press on the trigger. Krasinski had insisted he be the one to lead, as per usual. Their previous scuffle during their field practice had been it. One and done but he still tensed when she was around. Threatened by every little thing she did. It was the most profound case of male pride she had seen.

       They worked well together in spite of this, she tried harder.

      Covering him until they were in the building and he held back. “Go ahead, I need to check my safety. It’s stuck.” He fiddled with the small button, trying to dig his nail under the edge dramatically.

      She doubted it, focused behind her instead of on the curtain. An image on paper snapped into action, rolling forward on the ceiling tracks whilst she was looking at him, unable to take action or see it.

He snapped his gun up. She ducked as quick as she could whilst he discharged about half his clip in the one dummy in his own shock. Nina raised slowly in disbelief when he hadn’t shot her. 

       “Thanks.” She panted, looking past the dummy to see if it was the only one.

       He nodded when she looked back at him, “I got you.” He seemed to be happy he wasn’t alone, moving closer to her.

       She looked at his fingers still fiddling with the heating gun. “Your clip still good?”

       His eyes snapped to her. “Yeah, I know it was stupid, I just—.”

       She held her gloved hand up, patting his shoulder. “Caught us both off guard. Its why we do this, get it out now.” He didn’t seem bothered by her proximity anymore.

       “Yeah.” His eyes glanced at everything behind her. He moved ahead and she followed. More vigilant this time, he almost backed into the butt of her gun after a minute of them clearing rooms. “Shit, you got the time?” He checked his watch as he asked her, sucking his cheek after a moment.

       She forgot about that. “We missed the goal earlier, I didn’t want to stress you.” He hissed but she rubbed her eyebrow to hold back letting him know it was because he checked his gun...one, two…five times since they entered.

       “Damn it!” She smiled to herself. Maybe he was just frustrated with himself. He didn’t seem to gain praise for his constant stream of mistakes, understandably, but he _was_ trying.

       The alarm blared and red lights flashed, they went too far past time. Shameful but nothing they couldn’t improve, together. “I could use some critiques if you maybe wanted to like, exchange some tips?” She spoke quietly, not really convicted yet in the offer.

       He scoffed, looking out the window at their group yelling their dismay to them.“Whatever.”

It was a start.

       She shrugged, heading for the exit to allow the next group their spin. So far they had time to go one last time before it was time to jog the miles home, then chow time. He had looked at her expectantly once they were able to lower their guns and relax. It took her a moment before she raised her eyebrow, laughing once she realized he wanted his critique now.

       “Your nervous, I get it now, but you have to trust that your gun is fine.” She offered her hands, setting her gun in a resting position between her legs, the tip facing into the ground. She thought about what everyone else does, what she does when she gets nervous.

       “If you breath before you head into a room, like force a couple deep breaths.” He looked confused but she did an example, he nodded quickly and did the same. “Yeah, like that.” She smiled politely. It was weird that he wasn’t yelling how she was wrong now.

       “What does that even help?” Krasinski barked instantly. His face curling in confusion while he bit at her with his words as per usual.

       She rolled her eyes at his question, there it was.  “Try it. I think it’ll help for you to at least calm down.”

       He scoffed, looking forward. She looked at him as he did her when they got into line.

       “Well, you keep cocking your barrel into my back so maybe it’s that.” He said it snidely.

       Nina had to stop herself from her own snark. “You…” ‘ _Stop too much for someone who want to lead_.’ “I didn’t notice.” She finished lamely, using her own technique and breathed deeply.

       He glanced at her, almost like he didn’t want to finish. “It’s cause your short but it leave you vulnerable.” He said it matter of fact and she glared at his bluntness. She expected him to go right back to it, not even friendly bluntness. He shook his head eagerly, sensing her losing patience. “No, I mean. You keep it level for the most part, it just cocks up sometimes to compensate for…yeah.”

She felt whiplash when she followed his logic from a different point of view.

       She handed him back his gun, “Show me.” Maybe she did do it. She thought she had it down cause she had the time, made the ‘kills’ but she was making mistakes along the way. Live targets would take advantage. She had grown to do it as default now so she needed as much help to contradict it.

Small understandings that made her feel big improvement with her teammate.


	4. Rage

             Nina was _tired_. She wanted to make it to her apartment in peace then slide into bed with a bottle. Hope the neighbor's kids would go to sleep early and not bang their toys against the walls. Instead, she had walked into a shit-show, dropping her groceries instinctively to free her hands while looking that the three men who stood with sledgehammer as they carelessly busted and smashed their way into people’s individual apartment. There were still people in the hall. She rushed to the nearest person, “Que esta pasando?” (What is happening?) the family didn’t answer her but cowered in fear in the hallway. Nina could hear the crashing in various places but what got her attention was the cheap child’s toy chest thrown out into the hallway from the opposite doorway.

She twisted just in time to avoid it barreling towards her through the family’s apartment and into the wall. It looked like they were being raided but the harsh laughter following was inappropriate. Nina only had to take one look at the two kids faces to charge into the room where a stocky man around her size stood with a sledgehammer.

            He immediately pointed it at her and shoved her back into the hallway with the heavy metal tip to her stomach. She held her hands out in surrender far enough for him to feel safe, despite the adrenaline she stayed still, and he grinned.

            “If you got a problem, bitch. Then take it up with the company.” He leered at her and dragged the weapon up to her chin, Nina closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Every single person in the open could be witness, they would know her face. She had to decide. Glancing at the family behind the man. She brought her hand to hold up her two fingers and thumb she carefully motioned to the right. They looked confused at first but then the father ushered them farther away, the man finally caught on to her signal and glanced behind him with a confused look and she took the opportunity.

Slamming her hand on the tip of the Sledgehammer he had dropped it easily out of surprise. Nina grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and brought his face in to headbutt him twice before slamming him against the wall where the group had once huddled. She knew he would drop if she let him, but she still felt so angry.

            Taking one hand and gripping his face tightly, she ignored his apologies and slammed his head back to the wall. She had hoped it just knocked him unconscious. She could feel herself breathing heavier but not from exhaustion…from excitement. She knew she had blood that wasn’t hers smeared on her forehead and she was too scared to look at the family’s no doubt horror. Something she didn’t get to dwell on as she could hear more screams of terror.

           She grabbed the Sledgehammer on her way and marched through another open doorway, a much larger man stood with a sledgehammer. He made quick work of random spots dangerously close the Mrs. Cardenas while she screamed, pointing to the damage as soon as it was done and begging him to stop. Nina whistled to gain his attention, snapping her fingers when it seemed the dumb brute was exactly his stereotype. He tilted his head down in questioning at her.

          “I’ve got a bit of a complaint.” She exhaled and nodded to herself, looking at least four large holes in various places and smashed glassware. Elena had gotten those from her family. The man reached for her neck and she swung hard, hearing the bones crack in his hand and feeling the vibrations in the metal. The man was brought to his knees and she readied for another hit despite the old woman now trying to convince her in Spanish to not bring death into her home. This time she aimed for his head and he teared up, clutching his arm to his chest.

        “Get your buddy from the hallway and mosey the fuck on out of here.” This time he was surprisingly compliant and practically ran out of the apartment. Nina couldn’t get to everyone’s apartments individually, so she paced back to the hall, tapping the metal railing by the stairs to weed out the last of them, grateful it silenced the screams of distress and chaos, she moved back to the hallway.

        “OUT!” Nina bellowed, tapping on the wall at the far end while the other man stepped out from her apartment, a few residents following to see the commotion. She knew he noticed her, how could he not?

        “You mean me sweetheart? We’re just doing our jobs.” The tallest one was last with his friends scurrying behind her. Nina felt a flare of anger, “Who ordered you to do this job then?” She registered his rising anger and smirked, she had been prepared to fight for her answer. Taking her rings from her back pocket she slid them all on, the tall man charged her way and a few people had taken the chance to return their apartments to avoid the violence.

        “How bout you shut the fu-” she cracked the Sledgehammer across his jaw, dropping the Sledgehammer as he followed. Her hands still rang from the impact while his long arm formed a fist to punch her. He had just missed her and she jumped back in surprise, trying to find an opening as he went hit for hit, the sledgehammer doing little but dazing him. He had hit the wall by her head and gotten it stuck but thought on his feet and closed a fist to knock her a good one. He brought his knee up to her ribs and she grabbed his wrist the first chance she got.

                 Guiding it behind him and tug hard, feeling the snap in his forearm before letting go and pulling his head back to punch him. Her rings making the skin break instantly.

        Nina leaned to his hear and laughed, “Who?” he shook his head ‘no’ while she dropped him and grabbed his hammer from the wall as she stood, pointing it at him with short breaths. A short and greasy looking teenager who dropped his crowbar immediately, holding his hands up and making his presence known. “I just needed the money.” His voice wavered. Obviously he was the mans last shot at gaining the upper hand.

        She was out of energy anyway, the man collected himself and nearly pissed himself at the look of the sledgehammer in his face. Nina tilted her head in question.

        “Your landlord.” He whispered then booked it past her while she hit the back of the teens head on his way to follow the tall man.

        “Pick another goddamn profession.” After they had gone the hallway was empty besides herself. Everyone had no doubt locked their doors and she looked at all the debris blocking the tiny hallway. She shook her head free of the earlier panic and grabbed her groceries, tossing them inside then grabbing a trash bag to clean up.


	5. Satisfaction - Service

        She had put her very best into the repairs. After the third day it seemed unlikely management cared, especially when the entire building listed it as minor complaints out of fear. The more she exhausted herself physically, the less she thought about why she even involved herself with the tall order. It certain made her no friends...her involvement...it was just because that night she had just be so done with it all. Sitting back to take it instead of cutting it off quick. To be honest, working on this had been her break from going back to other, actually paying work. Clients as of late had been less and less professional. Nina had few hard rules but it was one of them. You didn't kill kids. You didn't accept clients without research, and those few clients after had to be discreet. Everything else was...well it was after. 

        Cutting drywall to patch was a better use of time than recent shit jobs, ‘taking care’ of shit people, making deals with them, or protecting them. She noted it would surely come with complications as those jobs had but these ones felt worth it. Seeing the progress was a benefit of another profession she had tried and failed. Turns out if you needed a drink to get through an EMT shift, being an EMT wasn't for you. She leaned to slowly slide down the wall of the hallway, covered in dust from the drywall and oil from the water heater but satisfied with her work. Enough so that she moved _actually_ fixing the water heater tomorrow.

        Of all apartments she had a handful left to work on, then the water situation which had evaded her. Arms throbbing but not enough that she couldn’t reach for the bottle of liquor she had brought out and hidden under some debris to sip on, forgoing the sipping option and chugging Nina sighed. She hadn't had a decent drink in days after the incident. The whole situation scaring her as much as it did her neighbors. None of which were on speaking terms with her until after the hallway had been patched, they had been so terrified. 

        It would take time but she could fix this place as a kind of penance to them. She couldn’t believe that someone would do this to such innocent people when they were just trying to scrape by. She had choices and it made her feel guilty they didn’t, especially since they deserved none of this lifestyle. She chose to hurt people with weapons, and no concern for who saw. Who was she to even make herself known like that?

The violence, bias, and overall injustice was frustrating.

        It was all that made Hells Kitchen, the city’s personal identity. Nina chugged more then capped the bottle. Drowning the fact that what truly scared her was how good it felt to hurt them, to deal her sense of justice. Feeling the world around her quiet with each drink, the overwhelming pressure on her chest about managing the entire buildings situation lift though her eyes teared. It would happen soon, cheap but strong bottles were a go-to. Only a single setback.

        Nina held the bottle tight, silently choking herself up unintentionally. She felt uncomfortable again. In need of a long shower, the shorts she wore now gave her a cold chill and the dust mixed with the oil to stick to her disgustingly. Sometimes it was like she got a bad batch but sleeping helped her gain some distance from it all still. She embraced the fuzzy feeling before succumbing to it.

        The door next to Nina opened and Mrs. Cardenas stepped out hesitantly, peeking around the corner with eyes filled with concern before tip toeing out and covering Nina up. The older woman took one look at the almost empty bottle and shook her head, motioning the trinity across her chest to pray for her.

        She observed the way Nina flinched occasionally in her slumber with furrowed brows before jumping herself at someone entering the building. Glancing around once more the woman slid back into her apartment and slammed the entrance.


	6. Billy and the Life Before

Nina had not immediately woken after the slam, delayed reaction not giving the go ahead for her safety, instead she had breathed deeply. Stretching until her drunk mind supplied that there was something she needed to be alert for. Finding nothing was a slight relief but listening closer she could discern confident and even footsteps.

       Glancing over her right shoulder, she saw Billy.  _Billy-freaking-_ Russo. The man seemed worth a double take. She sat up then gave a slow smile, almost as if remembering she was supposed to be happy to see her... _old friend_...mid-way through. It had been a couple of months since she last saw him and she _was_ happy. It was just a matter of why he came here. 

Like always, he had been the one to find her.

       Blinking, she noticed his disappointment at the same time she ignored his exaggerated distaste in her surroundings. Blatant, even from the other end of the hallway.

       Part of her heard Frank laughing with her at their friend but another part could heard Frank on Billy’s side. Both of them asking her what she was doing living out here in the city when she still had her own home.

       She shook her head to lift the fog-like feeling, realizing Billy had already walked halfway toward her before turning to wrinkle his nose at the other sleepy person, tapping his leg to wake him fully then handing him a folded twenty before whispering something that sent the man scurrying away. She knew the hallway was the closest that particular tenant could get to fresh air…as well as shoot up…but the guy was harmless. Well, to others. What did it matter to Bill if someone else had been there anyway? She thought of witnesses for a split second before she pushed it away. They both enjoyed their discretion. It wasn’t that she was unsafe with him, in fact, she was thought about him often.

       She tried not to get stuck on seeing him but the closer he got, the harder it became. He continued his way to her more confidently after the exchange and she gathered herself while he had removed his jacket, folding it and setting it on his arm then crouching in front of her.

       “Rough day?” He tsked as his long fingers rolled the bottle aside. He wrapped his arm around her to help, unnecessarily in her current opinion, walking her in the direction of her apartment door. The leather of his jacket rubbed against the skin of her exposed him coldly, only guiding her closer under his arm.

       “What is a day without a little rough in it?” He ignored the damages done around now that she was watching him, he scoffed, smirking at her. “A day to beware.” He chuckled while his fingers strummed her side.

       “You got a construction job I don’t know about?” He leaned Nina against her door frame, waving his hand to lessen the drywall dust lightly covering his palm. She stayed there just in case she felt unsteady. Moving her hips forward for him to search her jeans for her keys, looking at his handsome face in amusement.

He already knew what to do no matter where she had moved, she did the same for him on occasion.

The small moment made her smile to herself.

       “I could do some good work, Russo.” He heaved a sigh at her response as he twisted the key in the lock. She shook her head, was he angry at her? He seemed a bit tense.

       “We are talking about fixing things right?” He joked and held the door open with one hand. She passed him with her eyes locked to his. Her eyebrows raised unintentionally.

“Do jobs so well people pay me for it so I would say I’m doing just fine.” She hummed and flicked her head with attitude while he laughed shortly. He walked closer to her carefully.

       “Depends on the work is what I meant.” He held her face with a grin while he teased, hands framing her cheeks before she pushed them away. He was being himself again. This was why she had initially wanted to roll her eyes when she first laid eyes on him.

       “Yeah, sure.” She regarded him with light skepticism but let it go, she was feeling too foggy and her tongue was getting heavier. It was easier than dealing with it now.

       “Of course, you wouldn’t have to do work if you just moved.” He said it like it was obvious and Nina knew where he was headed but played along exasperatedly.

       “Why would I move again?” She staggered away towards the bathroom, leaving the door open as though she were still interested but starting the shower, effectively making him background noise.

       “I got some space free.” He shrugged and picked through her fridge before scrolling through his phone in distraction and rolling his eyes. She wondered often if he knew when people watched him, almost like he was hyper-aware of it without trying. She didn’t care, shedding her top and jeans. Sighing in relief, she sat on the edge of the small tub. He didn’t look but she could feel his smirk. Sitting was a difficult task as the ledge was small, immediately making her ass ache. Or maybe it was the normal effect Billy’s pestering had on her…she forgot Frank was the one to regulate the two of them.

       “I don’t need your help, and this was only supposed to be temporary as is.” Nina still payed for the house next to Frank and Maria. The cost was forcing her to do more jobs, her time as important as ever. It was still better than going back. She deeply dreaded going there and seeing it so empty. Too much change.

       It rubbed her the wrong way as she was typically comfortable with routine. That had changed too. She did have to figure something out soon unless she wanted to be up to her eyes in debt, just not yet.

       His shoes scuffed against her linoleum, she was vaguely aware he was speaking to her.

       “It wouldn’t be temporary with me.” He half-confessed to her and she laughed before she could stifle it, hearing him speak quickly into his phone before setting it on the counter. He took this as seriously as her if he was in the middle of  _another_ conversation.

It was a half promise to a friend, something she couldn’t accept from him because…well it was  _him_.

       Nina kicked the door to a  crack before closed then undressed fully before stepping under the frigid water, sobering herself unintentionally.  **Fuck.** She forgot the water was jacked. Sucking in a quick breath to prevent a hum of discomfort under the cold stream.

       “I’ve got a house I’ll go back to when it’s finished.” She spoke slowly to avoid allowing him to hear her teeth chattering and add on to his list of reasons for her to move. In the end it was her choice.

       “Instead you wanna pass out in hallways of a place called Hell’s Kitchen? Wow, I’m a little offended.” Through the clear shower curtain, Nina craned her neck to watch him once again. He was cleaning up her apartment absentmindedly. He always did stuff like this, kept himself busy in order to wait for her answer.

“It’s not like that, I just needed some distance from the neighborhood.” ‘ _From everything_.’ Nina thought as she swiftly scrubbed herself then hopped out of the cold stream. "My neighbor needed help, gave me a bottle as a thanks."

       “So your thinking about staying? Here?” Nina shrugged though he couldn’t see her response.

“Rents cheap, and it gets me out of my head.” It was a lie, if anything it steered her deeper into her thoughts. It helped her get organized, that was something.


	7. Flashback

       “Billy is definitely a Raven. End of discussion.” Nina flipped her cards and appraised her deck, organizing her weaker cards closer to her chest and laughing at the situation. Also, the thought of the other cards she had up her sleeve while Frank and Billy argued over code names as extremely amusing. Frank nodded and Billy looked confused and finally they both looked at their hands.

       “You know we say that, because you got a particular taste there, Billy boy.” Frank set down two and Nina slipped her sleeve closer to her thighs while Billy pointed in accusation at Frank.

       “I got good taste, you mean.” Nina chuckled, it was a reference to pretty male spies who lived like Bond. So, he had been sort of close. Nina shrugged at the same time as Frank to blend but had been slipping the cards she needed into her thighs before bringing that hand up and scratching her head in thought.

       “I figure you’re the Raven, I’m a Blackbird and she’s the Canary, huh? All I’m sayin’ is it fits better, Frankie!” Billy smiled, and played his hand while Frank fiddled with his in disbelief. Forming an answer to Billy’s quick and excited response, Nina furrowed her brows at the reference. Slipping her bad cards from her hand finally, she traded for the ones concealed in her lap.

       “Blackbird? We’re doing literal code names…after birds?” she felt out of the loop while Frank agreed with Billy’s assessment.

       “Wait, a Raven is a black bird.” Frank questioned, finally playing his hand.

       “Blackbirds like a refined Raven.” Billy sniffed and eyed Nina closely, she pretended to think about her play. Her face itched to smile at him but she looked across at Frank instead as he shrugged his compliance, finding no issue with Billy’s explanation.

For the past twenty minutes she had thought they we’re doing double-entendres as code names.

       “Not to mention, Canary, isn’t as literal as you think.” Billy failed at holding his laughter. Exchanging a suspicious look Frank before bursting at the seams like a teenager in study hall, not even attempting to hold it. Nina thought for a second as Billy played his turn.

       “Yeah, always chirping,” Frank rubbed his chin in thought then laughed “I swear it’s how I found you when you fell overboard.”

 Billy paused the game and leaned back into his chair in surprise. “You fell off a Navy ship?” Nina opened her mouth but was interrupted by Franks cackle.

       “Hell yeah she did, so the story goes.” Nina smacked his shoulder, leaning closer in joking while trying to peek at his hand.

       “No, let me tell it, you always miss the main point.” Nina chuckled and returned to her own seat when he folded his cards down, giving her a stern look.

       “Yeah but my version is funnier.” Nina thought about it and couldn’t deny, Frank could tell a hell of a story.

       “…Whatever.” She rolled her eyes and played her hand.

       “So this guy had been walking the ship, right? We all just wanna make it back home but he thinks he see’s a pin missing on this thing. Tries to get his fat ass up there to see.” Frank paused as he was laughing too hard. “Me and Nina are heading in cause she wanted to do that Titanic thing, but this was after a few overtime shifts, so we were dead tired.”

       Nina remembered Frank had pretended to loose his footing and drop her.

       “Titanic?” Billy snorted but Nina had waved her hand to gain the attention.

       “ _I_ was dead tired, from working _your_ overtime shifts so you would do it with me.” Shaking her head she tsked at Frank for not revealing the truth of it. NIna still chuckled, getting a kick from playing the  _real_ story progression in her mind. 

       “Yeah, Curtis wouldn’t” Frank 'recalled' and they both nodded together.

“Nah, said he was too tempted to push me.” Nina had run Curtis ragged that tour with her arguing about executions of some kind of medical procedure.

       “Anyway, he sees Nina and asks her to crawl up and check.” Frank motioned with his hands and Nina nodded towards Billy.

       “So I went.” She shrugged and he glanced back to Frank.

       “The guy goes to show her where and stumbles a bit then BOOM.” Frank smacked his hand on the table, “He knocks her in the water.” Nina recalled the man grabbing her jacket for support then falling back.

Billy let out a low whistle, “Did it hurt?”

Nina nodded slowly “After they got me out, yeah.”

       Frank had finally played his hand and Nina noted this was the last round after Billy goes.

       “Her little head pops up and we call for the rescue.” Frank wiped his tears but ended up breaking up again. “Whole time we hear Nina from the water, yelling how she was gonna haunt his ass if she got sucked under and into the turbines.” She didn’t remember yelling until she got on deck, her ribs were so sore all she could do was gasp breaths.

       Their last hand had come and Nina shook her head, silently arranged her winning cards, the game becoming serious after the chuckling had subsided. They each laid their hands and Nina smiled, bowing to each man while they groaned at the loss.

       Leaning forward she hardly noticed they had seen the cards in her lap, she hadn’t had a chance to slip them up her sleeve or down in her boot. Collecting the cards and placing them neatly, she finally saw Frank and Billy had gone silent, looking at her expectantly as she gathered her winnings.

       “What?” she questioned and laughed while they exchanged a look and she got nervous.

       Billy held his hand out expectantly and Nina sighed, rolling her eyes as she finally got it,

       “Alright, Alright.” She slipped the cards from her thighs and tossed them in his hand. Standing to stretch in place of sinking in shame from being caught, “Well, I’ve got to head over to medical. Stuck there for tonight until we get another target.” Nina nonchalantly rubbed her neck as they eyed her suspiciously. Her history betraying her.

       She waved goodbye but stared at the pile of cookies longingly, it was going to be impossible to focus if her stomach was growling. There wasn’t a moister cookie for miles. The thought pained her as she restrained herself enough to make it halfway to the exit as they had already waved bye, starting another game and discussion.

       Eventually, she took her chance and lunged for the pile, stuffing as many as she could into her mouth before they could stop her in their disbelief. Frank picked her up by the waist as both men shot up, Billy groaned in irritation while Frank had no laughter for her chocolate stained hands and crumb covered mouth. As though she were a kid she smiled around chipmunk cheeks victoriously.

“She ain’t sending cookies…for another month.” Nina watched his face form disbelief that she would betray him and eat Maria’s baked goods, to laughing in his attempt to sternly shake her in his frustration. “I’m telling Maria.” He mumbled before letting her go. Establishing a new rule; Nina face the penalty of no baked goods until they returned home.

It was one of their good days.


	8. You Ever Get That Way, Murdock?

       Billy left before she came out of the bathroom and she felt somewhat disappointed, paranoid until finding the clothes he brought from her house. It was his convincing that needed work, she felt irritated with his attempt to get her to go back. Going to bed with the plan to finally figure out what she was doing. He was always presenting his _best_ image to everyone, as much as he pushed her to present her own best image. At first she endeared it but now it grated on her. Maybe it was easier to present her best image before, as it had come naturally, but now she had few to impress. She liked it that way.

       Elena had caught her just as she moved from locking her apartment. Nina felt rude just walking past but continued on as she had more important things to see to. She was dressed for a meeting with Curtis and wanted him to assume she was as well on the inside as she was outside. He could let Billy know that she was just fine.

       “Por favor, Ayúdame.” The woman shuffled to grasp her elbow and Nina sighed.

       “I have a meeting.” She attempted to explain as she allowed the woman to tug her eye level.

       “I don’t feel safe walking there alone. Only twenty minutes, please.” Elena offered a handful of change to her. Internally she cringed at the woman’s offer. Forcing a smile, shaking her head.

“After you, senora.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       The sly older woman had failed to mention she was on her way to see lawyers, having Nina sit outside of the office while she discussed the issue. She hadn’t followed the conversation until she heard Mrs. Cardenas’s mention her.

       “That girl came in near the end of it, parecía tan asustado.” The poor woman was shaking just thinking back to the situation. “I was in my kitchen when el hombre grande burst in, dice needs to check the…wires... in my wall then he break with the hammer.” She fanned herself as she struggled to find the words.

       “Nina come in,” Elena flashed a complicated look to the women sitting outside the office. “El hombre dice Él nos lastimará.” Foggy urged her to continue despite having trouble following, Matt waited patiently, more focused of listening to Nina outside. He knew she could hear, she could tell by the way he was standing. Though he couldn’t see her turned head she looked forward anyway, it didn’t interfere with her hearing. “Cuando terminó, she fixes.”

       Nina felt relieved she skipped the part with the men’s departure, despite wanting to keep all involvement to herself she assumed the woman would have to tell them something.

       Foggy glanced at her “Sorry she fixed what exactly?” he scribbled a reminder on his notepad.

“No, she _is fixing_ everything, holes, electric…water.” The woman described her with high regards but sighed. Nina knew she hadn’t made it to the older woman’s apartment regretfully, it was one of the last few and counting. “She needs help, can’t do it all on her own.”

       It had been past the twenty minutes and Nina grew anxious as they called on her after sending Elena with Karen to find some tea. She sat across from the duo impatiently,

“Mrs. Cardenas mentioned there was extensive damage to the building during ‘renovations’ approved by your landlord, Armand Tully.” Matt tilted his head in question while waiting for her reply.

       Nina crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes at his partner across from her.

       “Were they really approved? I don’t know much about it, sorry.” She quipped, just because she came here didn't mean she had to answer them honestly.

       “She said you spoke with her about the incident?” Foggy continued writing before waiting for her much less patiently than Matt.

       “I don’t speak much with the old woman, language barrier and that.” She scoffed, what did it matter if they talked about some thugs coming in? It was a shit neighborhood.

      Foggy looked confused and glanced at Matt, unsure. Matt just gave a small smile and moved on, though her heart raced at the thought of them looking into her relationship with the older woman. The possibility of them finding out about her confrontation with the man in her own apartment. The walls were thin and Elena was a woman who didn’t get out much. She could have heard anything, she definitely saw enough.

      “Why haven’t any other tenants raised major complaints or sought legal assistance?” Foggy questioned and Nina shrugged in her chair. Biding her time until she could head out with Elena and go about her own day.

       “You would have to ask them, I assume because it’s just the way it goes.” She sighed, crossing her arms.

        Matt leaned forward with interest, “Could you elaborate on that, please?” his eyebrows furrowed as he waited.

      “The way of the world, bad shit happens then you deal with it.” Nina explained as well as demonstrated with her hands flat, laying them vertically in a 2-spot progression.

      “So you confronted the men as Mrs. Cardenas has said?” Foggy slowed down to finally pay attention to her.

Nina thought carefully how to word the situation, “Put a lid on the kettle so to speak, a temporary fix.”

       The second she saw Elena ready with her purse and a kind smile, Nina stood. “I’ve got to meet a friend, nice meeting you two.” She nodded and turned while Foggy looked at her in surprise but Matt looked at her calmly.

       “Nina?” he clearly had ignored her previous statement but since he was blind, she let it slip instead of leading Elena back to her home.

       “Yes?” She glanced behind herself, unsure what he wanted just wishing it was quick.

       “Why did you confront the men?” She could hear in his tone that he already knew the answer before she even said it.

       “Excuse me?” Nina went back mentally to make sure she hadn’t heard him say ‘man’ specifically as in one.

       “Well, as you said before it’s the way of the world. So why intervene at all?” Nina paused

“…Because sometimes I get fed up with the way of the world. You ever get that way, Murdock?” Gripping the handle and giving a polite goodbye before ushering Mrs. Cardenas home quickly. Curtis knew not to wait for her.


	9. Curtis Hoyle

       “Curtis, hey.” She smiled when he held his arms wide.

       “Get over here.” He waved, hugging her genuinely. “I haven’t seen you in months.” She didn’t want to let go, mentally borrowing his stability. She was going to need it.

       “Yeah, been getting stuff together.” She smoothed her jacket, wiping the sweat from her hands but also hoping she wasn't looking as haggard as she felt.

       “Need some help?” Curtis nodded and offered her a chair before seating himself in the creakiest of metal fold-out chairs. 

       Nina shook her head, knowing he would offer already. “I can’t ask that.” He tsked, waiting for a moment before continuing.

       “So, how have you been doing? Seen Frank yet?” He mentioned it like it was just another daily and normal task. They both knew it was very much not the case.

       She nodded, picking her cuticle with her nail. “A week ago, healed nice but those nurses haven’t moved him often enough.” She shook her head in irritation, just because he was in a coma didn’t mean he wouldn’t benefit from movement.

       Curtis chuckled lightly, “Yeah, I mentioned that to them.” It made her feel better that they knew Frank had people monitoring his state, the staff handling him weren't going unchecked and he wasn't alone...That she could talk to Curtis about Frank.

      “You been okay though?” He leaned to gain her attention and she felt a little guilty for waiting too long to respond. Mentally reminding herself to keep talking.

      “I…I moved, thinking about selling that house.” It was too close to the memory of Frank and she was tiring of paying to keep it alive so it could haunt her. Counselor Curtis would tell her it wasn’t healthy that she really wanted everything the same, that it was good she was doing this. For when…if…“I cleaned it with Billy last time I was there.” Her mind jerked to a halt. Him and Billy… _why_?

      She closed her eyes, “What?” It was hard to breath.

       Curtis’s confusion seeped into the edges of his voice. “He said it’d be nice for you to come back without all that stuff reminding you.”

       She scoffed, what did Billy know about what she wanted? They didn’t even ask.

       “What stuff, Curtis?”She looked at him seriously, finding no calm behind her eyelids and having to face this situation. 

       He offered his open hands, like he did for his group and she tugged at her roots.

       “Calm down.” He sighed heavily, “You and I did it for Frank.” She stopped tugging. Heart dropping, it was true. They had moved the kids toys, Maria’s leftovers and what was in the fridge though. Nina treasured the pictures she had. Both taken by Maria and drawn by the kids.

        

        “I won’t let either of you dwell on that horrible accident.” Curtis pressed his lips together in an attempt to hold back but only succeeded in adding a biting tone to his words.

        She stood, pacing away from Curtis and his 'hostile' tone.

        “This is why I stopped speaking with you and Billy, I can’t fucking deal with this right now.” She just wanted to get there and see what they had gotten into. What Billy looked through.

        “What’s really going on?” He sighed heavily at her, at a loss for words for a moment.

        “Don’t.” She shook her head, Counselor Curtis was rising in him whether he realized it or not and she needed her _friend_ at the moment. 

        “It’s more than us taking out some of the kids overnight drawers.” He waved his hand as he tried to understand. It was more than that to her, it was her comfort and safety that she had left untouched. 

        “Curtis, stop.” She covered her burning face. She was drifting mentally, the choking noises becoming clearer.

Last breaths make a 'death rattle'.

       He stood, furrowing his eyebrows. “I don’t think you ever were alright since you got back, I’m won't push.”  Curtis had already gotten to his point though, not letting it go.  “I’m expressing my concern, okay?” His tone was only truthful. She _knew_ that. It just wasn’t helping her to hear it now. Curtis wasn’t there. He didn’t get it.

“I’ll go with you, you have to go back at least once before you decide to get rid of it.” He shrugged as though it wasn't a big deal. She deflated as he tried his hardest _to_ get it. To understand but it pained her the more he tried and got it wrong.

She accepted his offer.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Opening the door she felt Curtis behind her, giving her the confidence to step in. They had cleaned up. It made her feel different. “

       You want some coffee?” He flicked on the lights when she made no move to, her eyes instantly going to the window to see Franks house. Empty.

       “Yeah, you know where the kitchen is.” She nodded, waiting for his lights to flick on. Curtis broke her light of sight, setting his hands on her shoulders.

       “It’s good you’re doing this now.” He looked as though he was trying to convince her but she did feel a little better. Not the house being her safety but the one next to it, the people who inhabited it. Frank was what made her feel safe and now he was incapacitated. She was starting to understand it better herself, taking a steady breath then shrugging him off to find boxes.

       “Yeah. Thanks for being here, I know its stupid.” She grimaced in embarrassment, Curtis looking awkward before starting to collect her decorations from the shelves.

       “It’s not, me and Billy…we didn’t mean anything about coming in here without you. You know it hurts him that he wasn’t there?” She didn’t even think about it, how it affected people who weren't even there. She was fixing this now. To get it done with and move on.

“I know.” Nina formulated a plan, more details coming the longer she fixated on it.


	10. Do What You Love And You'll Never...

It was going to be finalized at the end of the month. In the meantime, she had to pull a job. Money too tight and she wasn't about to have Billy force another loan on her.

She hated debts. 

       “I give you half now and you get rid of her?” He offered the bag without so much as a glance around to see if anyone had seen them. She back away from the bag he offered, glad she had chosen the meeting place for its discretion.

       “You brought it with you?” This was dangerous but she needed the money. She had to risk completing this for this ‘questionable character’.

        He puffed his chest in confidence, “Of course, I’m not stupid.” Nina couldn’t stop her eye twitching, of course he  _was_. They could have done this wireless but he insisted. Probably watched too many movies.

       “I need a name, picture, or location if your feeling really smart.” She accepted the bag but he held it tightly. Looking down at her in warning.

       “Don’t get lip with me.” He was unstable, that much clear but did he really think that she  _was?_   “She did too and now look where I’m at with her.” Nina ignored the 'she' to jerk the bag roughly, dropping it by her feet as she stared him down until he offered the picture.

“I don’t care.” She flicked it over and felt her entire goal of money change.

       “You should.” He had started walking away when she stopped him.

“Wait.” It was a  _very_  young girl.

       He groaned, obviously having an idea of how this would go for him. “What? You got her picture.”

       She shrugged, brushing the edges of the picture. She couldn’t have been more than a teenager so why did he want her dead?

       “What’d she do?” Nina had reminded herself that she learned guns when she was sixteen. This one  _could_ have been a threat to the weak man in front of her. Hemming and hawing like a child showing their parents they were irritated.  He scoffed at her question, coming closer with an interested smirk.

       “Thought you don’t care?” He leered over the picture she still held and she had to stop herself from dropping it from his view. He was more inclined to explain himself to her when she feigned a look of confusion instead.

       “One night and she’ll ruin my life over it.” He smiled like the tale was as charming to her as it clearly was to him. 

She knew this guy. A meeting of fifteen minutes and she knew him.

       He thought he could do what he wanted. Pay to have his victims killed for him since he was too much of a pussy to do anything besides victimize. She kicked the bag of money back at him, tearing the picture. Both actions would infuriate him and she knew. She wanted him to pick this fight so she could at least have 'one night of fun' with him. 

       “Hey, what the fuck?” He barely made a reach for her when she reacted quickly. Taking one last look around and making sure they were alone before swiping his legs, his weight centered in his back during the slam against the gravel. He lost his breath, making it even more satisfying for her when she kicked his face. Dull thwack having him making a snoring noise. She checked his pockets, finding his phone and car keys. While she checked his phone she turned him to his side lazily, knowing the sound he made meant he was trying to swallow his tongue.

       Nina found enough evidence in his phone. Parties with  _teens_ , him and a few familiar faces of her previous clients feeding them heroin. She growled in frustration, wiping the phone from her prints then deciding to just snap it. The two she recognized paid her to rough up, make a show was all. She didn’t care that they were junkies just that they had their parents money still fueling their adult expenses. Now she felt sick.

       “Shut  _up_.” She kicked the man to his back again once he groaned. He groaned even louder, interrupting her train of thought. It didn’t matter whether he died now or later. She was taking the money.

Nina took her gun and shot him in the head, sighing at the silence.

She hated when it turned this way, she didn't dig deep enough. Unprofessional, Schoonover would have called it. It was why she had a strict rules when she took these kind of jobs. Idiots like this made it impossible to not end up with this outcome.


	11. Bargaining

       Taking care of the body was the extra step she didn’t have to take. Not with crime being as high as it was but she would take every opportunity to cover her ass. Speaking of, he wasn’t the swiftest of hauls. Walking back she felt soreness from lifting him when she was climbing the stairs to the apartment building. She still had to stick the bag into her own apartment, other than that, clean and presentable to anyone looking. So long as she didn't sit too fast, no one would be the wiser.

       Someone stood to side of her door, small bent figure leaving few options as to who. Nina glanced at the bag to make sure there was no blood or other concerning aspects of it. Then, looking to the old woman who kept tentatively reaching up to knock but stopping short.

       “Señora? Hay problemas?” (Is there trouble?) Elena had jumped and held her heart when she approached. Shaking her head, glancing back to the door hesitantly. Nina knew the woman was not about to ask about her ‘groceries’, Nina had forgotten she had plans to help the woman. She didn’t want to do it _now_.

       Nina smiled instead of telling her no. Elena would never ask again if she did.

       “Would you like for me to patch your walls now?” The mention of it had Elena nodding more confidently, more than ready.

“Gracias, dulce niña.” Elena patted Nina's arm gently. Glasses perched on her nose, “Tengo algo para ti, esto no es trabajo gratis.” (I have something for you, this isn’t free work.) “Mr. Nicolás leave me _alcohol_ for you, aunque no bebo en mi casa.” (No drinking in my home though.) Nina chucked hearing Elena call him ‘facilatador.’ (Enabler) under her breath before Nina ducked into her apartment before it was pitch outside. She tossed the bag inside her vent, checking behind to see Elena remained in the hall.

“No lo pensaria.” (I wouldn’t think about it.) She called to the hallway, moving on to quickly filling the dark bottle halfway with the last of what she had over the sink.

Nothing like a bourbon and whiskey mix.

       “Tengo mi cafe, señora.” (I have my coffee, ma’am.) Elena looked unsure at the sports bottle Nina appeared with, letting it go as she had no proof of what Nina had inside. The old woman wasn’t dumb, she knew that. What the woman didn't know for sure couldn't hurt her, Nina could handle a swig or two before starting.

Drywall dust was better than blood. Not in how it made her feel but in the cleanup.

       While not knowing specifically, Elena had her understanding come eventually while she led Nina to her home.

       “Una pequeña bebida si debes.” (A small drink if you must.)


	12. Catching Breath

       Foggy and Karen looked at Nina in surprise as Elena invited them inside, overjoyed by their presence though Nina felt awkward. Having been caught in the lie that she hadn’t known the woman very well. Foggy must have brought seriously bad news if he didn’t bring that easy one to the table.

       “Senior Tully…eh fix? Si?” Elena motioned to the damages Nina had been fixing. Sighing heavily in irritation with the woman, Nina bit her lip to refrain from bluntly telling Mrs. Cardenas that no one was going to help them. Who the hell was she to crush the kind woman?

“No, not yet.” Nina eyed Foggy despite him whole-heartedly looking guilty. “But Karen and I, we’re going to do what we can.” He glanced around the crowded apartment.

       “We are?” Karen rounded back as soon as she heard her name.

       “Why not? My dad owned a hardware store for twelve forevers, picked up a few things. At least get the ball rolling.” Nina was still skeptical but appreciated the sentiment from the strangers, it could give her a break.

“And your cousin’s a drywall guy, right?” Karen seemed enthused to help as she motioned to Foggy who nodded. “That he is.”

       Elena stood speechless and Nina sipped out of her bottle she had carried in. Elena hadn’t made her throw it out yet. “You look like you could use a break or at least a hand.” He offered, Nina set the bottle down on Mrs. Cardenas’s table with a heavy thud, glancing down at her appearance.

       “And Matt and I fished an electrician out of the drunk tank. Owes us a favor.” Foggy continued and stepped closer to the older woman “We’re gonna talk to your neighbors, too, okay, Mrs. Cardenas?” Nina chuckled at that, it was a bit of a reach but she was slowly starting to believe him herself. “We’re gonna take care of you.” He practically promised but Nina didn’t have time to misplace her irritation towards Foggy overcompensating promises.

        Her phone ringing for the last time before she just shut it off for the moment. “Elena, I’m going to go.” It would be better if Nina didn’t stay, had Lucas felt the need to come for her. The older woman was too focused on Foggy mentioning working water.

        Nina slipped out and turned on her phone, entering her own unlit apartment just as she dialed the number.

        “What?” Her tone was sharp, practiced. Lucas had shuffled on his end.

        “Somethings going on with the Russians.” He was eager to share it with her like it meant something.

       “I don’t care, it doesn’t involve me.” She tried to search her memory after a moment. “Does it?” She spoke lower into the receiver, his light laughter clearly from whoever else he was speaking with. Their voice barely there, muted, but there.

       “Just figured I would say safest place is indoors tonight, sweetheart.”

       She cleared her throat, “Thanks, now goodbye.” She hung up, hearing someone heading her way. A few light taps to her door had her jerk away from it in the dark. Holding her chest in a soothing manner as best she could, she opened it, expecting Foggy with questions but it was a stern Mrs. Cardenas.

       “You did not say goodbye, bad manners.” The woman pressed her lips into a thin line, Nina ran her hand through her hair. She would never tell the woman she was wrong, she did say goodbye. “Lo siento, señora.” She closed her eyes, Elena catching her attention by grasping her wrist. “Come, I made you a plate.”

       Nina looked back at her apartment. “I have food.” It was a lie. Elena accepted it as much as she would have if it  _had_ been the truth.

       “I made you a plate, Niña. Come keep me company while Foggy and Karen have theirs.” She tugged her wrist back. This was her exchange for the work but Nina didn't feel right. Something was off and she had to sort through and think what is was. 

       “Señora, I—.”

       “No, I insist.” Elena looked at her pleadingly and Nina felt guilty. Sighing heavily before motioning for her to lead the way. “Gracias.” Elena beamed at her, “You are welcome.”

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Nina was in the middle of listening to the older woman’s story when she ended up covering Elena. Just from the sheer impact of the blast. The entire building shook and Nina was caught in her mind. The smell of the bombs was different than she was used to but powerful, staggering  to get up, Elena wandered away from Nina.

       “Señora, siéntate.” Nina coughed from the dust, grimacing at her immediate ache. “Por favor, Elena!” She reached for the confused woman. The kids across the hall were crying, people in the hallway faltering with the second blast.

       She didn’t remember coming here. Gasping when she snapped to under hospitals brightness, halls rushing with injured people. Maybe default mode taking over but she was determined to stay attentive when Foggy called for a specific nurse’s help.

       “She has a deep laceration to her hairline, I—I think she takes blood thinners.” Nina gently moved the hair to get a better view before she added pressure. She was so focused on making the nurse aware she didn’t notice Foggy being helped into a seat by Karen. Blood on his abdomen.

Nina was kneeled there in an instant.

       “Foggy, let me see.” He grimaced, not moving his hand for her. “You a doctor?” He looked at her skeptically.

       She shrugged, she could manage this would if his shock had been enough to get him here.

       “Medic, they seem pretty backed up here so just lift your shirt.” She tried to peel it slow but he flinched, groaning. She could see it was a slice, a small glint in the blood. “I think the piece of glass is still in there, it’s gonna stitch clean though.”

       “You mean my flawless physique remains unscathed? That’s just great.” He joked while Nina searched her bag for the small forceps. Typically they were for bullets but glass was just another inanimate object. Foggy looked at her black kit, rubbing his hair back in a distraction from the pain she assumed. It didn’t occur to her that the other tools looked a bit medieval and it was intimidating.

       “Medic, huh? You in the army or something?” She wasn’t trying to make friends here. Keeping the answer short, she still hadn’t acknowledged it until she quickly approached his wound and he backed away. "Nothing shady and illegal with shortcuts, right?" She rolled her neck, conversation was a good distraction.

       “Marines.” She looked up to see he avoided her eyes.

       Foggy chuckled, holding her shoulder tightly when she positioned the forceps again. “Yeah, probably where the scary comes from.” Scary? She pulled back to laugh,

       “Yeah.” She shook her head. “Probably.” It gave him trust when she didn’t immediately go back to trying to dig at the cut, she allowed herself to laugh because she knew pulling away meant he was unprepared. Not thinking about the pain it would cause just yet.

       He created his own distraction as well, rubbing the metal of the scalpel in interest.

       “Whoa, you just keep that kit in your purse? Is that sterile?” He looked around for a nurse but they were all just as busy as they had been minutes ago. She sighed heavily, did it look dirty to him?

       “You want it out or in?” She pointed at the edge he would have seen had he looked down.

       “Out, please.” He nodded, mumbling ‘yeah’ and pulling away when she neared with them again. Now he knew she was going to do it, he was too nervous. “It’s gonna sting.” She doubted letting him know would effect his reaction.

       Her assistance was done when another nurse took over, dealing with the Foggy and his low pain tolerance, seven stitches. She didn't want to be there for that, he barely made it through her gently removing the glass.

Nina figured the apartments were a ruined. Work she had done not amounting to anything when compared to this new damage. On her way to her bed for the night, ready to sleep on glass if she had to, when she was slammed then shoved into the trunk of a car. It was going too fast for her to even get the sack off her head before it slowed to a stop. Her teeth barely making contact with the rope and then she was tazed.


	13. Satisfaction Finished - Acceptance Of Punishment

She came to across from Wilson Fisk and his assistant, a glass of water in front of her. She stared at the table… _shit…_

       “You are a difficult woman to keep an eye on.” His laugh sounded grim and forced. “You have considered that we _found_ you, correct?” She was well aware what it meant. She needed to be cool.

       “Yes, Mr. Fisk.” She hadn’t expected his own name to be the one to set him off, not after he built anticipation with his silence. He was…a much larger man than her. Sitting across from him only made him hunker over her, his power unspoken but clear in the way he held himself.

       She made no move during the outburst, only smacking his hand on the table but it was enough. The table now bowed and her glass tipped. His ring hurt her ears as it scratched the surface. Almost like an agonized scream from a distance, she thought. The water nearing his expensive suit was the only thing to tear his attention away form his anger. She noted he liked a clean image. He had to…she only noticed because it was so similar to her.

       “This is not his preferred methods, please excuse him.” His assistant pursed his lips at her in distaste as though she were the problem despite his reassurance. She shook her head to stop the rest of her from shaking as well. Forcing her nerves to steel easily. It wasn’t ever that simple and they wanted something.

       “I can’t be of any use to you, _sir_.” Nina knew she had to play nice and proper. It would spur their offer to present itself in a preferred manner. Being unsure if she would take it didn’t mean she wouldn’t listen to it.

It meant something. The fact they had chances to have killed her, it was what she had been expecting yet…nothing happened.

       “On the contrary.” Fisk snapped his fingers and Wesley left to return with papers, a stack of them coated in hefty legal terms. “Certain inadequacies meant that I had to take time for this meeting, which if I am honest, means very little much to me.” He was lying. Who tried this hard for something that means ‘very little’ to them?  

       “We would pay you to mention how generous this offer is.” He tapped his thick finger against the stack, “Move back to your _home_.” Nina stared at him as he mentioned it. She figured they knew everything that was on paper but the way he mentioned it irked her. She tilted her head in thought.

       “I can’t convince them all to take it.” Wesley sighed, already bored and pissing her off.

       “Try. Your safety may be determined by your cooperation.” He seemed proud of the way the papers were organized. Both men pushing her to glance it over…to accept.

       “You taking the easy way, kid?” She felt cold at hearing Franks voice next to her, clear as day. No…N—nNo…it can’t happen _now_. She was guided by Frank’s question to her answer. Though she _really_ wanted to ignore him.

“Is that a threat?” She just wanted to be sure of how bad she had inconvenienced Fisk.

       “It is a fact. It is in your best interest to set the example or _be_ the example.” Fisk’s gravely voice went well with veiled threats, she raised her eyebrows at the thought. Mind flashing to Russo, his visit and whether or not Fisk knew just how close she was with him.

       Frank paced in her mind, shaking his head vehemently. “He can’t touch them, not if you don’t let him.“ Billy was blown from her mind when five other men filed in, rounding the table to stand behind her. Fisk was only planning on getting even with her.

She wiped her brow and smiled, syncing train of thought with the Frank her mind conjured.

“He’s scarin’ you but you don’t scare easy.” The men came without serious weapons. Knives and guns seemingly not an option as they wanted her alive.

Nina could take it, she had before.

       Frank was next to her face now, so close she could feel his breathing…feel literal heat from his furious face.

       “ _DO YOU_?” He bellowed and she smiled at the men who waited for her answer of ‘yes’.

It wasn’t going to be the last time she went through this and at least they hadn’t hurt any other tenants over this.

        “Let’s just get this done.” Their only option was to do it legally. Short of clearing the whole block at least. She wouldn't fight and make it harder on herself like Frank would have done. She had it coming, in a way.

Being their last resort as well as refusing…she knew this was going to hurt.


	14. New Start

       She was two blocks from the building. The streets dangerous still, time probably being closer to five a.m. if she had to guess. Unarmed but the state of her had any unsavory characters darting out of her path. Nina had caught a glimpse of her reflection, her jaw was going to take time to heal. She had cracked it back into place once they dumped her.

       Everything else had been light, all things considered. Her hips out of alignment paled in comparison to the pain in her mouth. She wanted to sleep for a month but all she could think of while she walked mechanically was if Elena could afford her hospital bills. Nina had the bag of money in her vent still, her only hope that it hadn’t broken in the impact and dropped down to Mr. Nicolás. The bottle of clear tequila not _that_ good. Her mind went dark thinking about if he was hurt too. How many just in their building had been harmed with no way to pay and nowhere to go.

       She sighed when the building had zero activity, concerned no one had been in the halls but thankful. Nina had to crawl the stairs in defeat, every uneven step bouncing her lower half painfully. Maybe she pinched her nerve or something. It was a two-person job to reset her hips but she didn’t want to see anyone at the moment. They could have followed her to see if she would lead them to someone they could blackmail her with.

Billy emerged from her apartment. Looking at her in shock, she stood frozen at the sight of him. Glancing behind herself instinctively.

       “I called but your phone.” He closed the distance but Nina limped past him to Elena’s apartment, Billy following. “Are you okay?” She nodded and picked up the bottle Mr. Nicolás left there for her. She couldn’t answer just yet, blood still creating a small pool in her mouth.

       “I told you to just stay with me, why didn’t you jus—.” She shook her debris covered phone at him to make her point, cutting him short intentionally. He narrowed his eyes at her continued silence and attitude. “Your apartment doesn’t even have electricity, I couldn’t find shit.” She understood his worry, sitting in a chair she overturned to cover her face. Stressed didn’t even cover it.

It was all too much…she didn’t know how to…how to…

“I’m not staying here much longer so—.” She sucked in a harsh breath, her throat hurt. Words muddled by blood but the bottle in her hands made it seem like the usual situation he found her in. His timing was as terrible as hers sometimes.

       Billy uncurled her hands from digging at her face. “Hey.” He was stern as she resisted at first. Forgetting she could blame the superficial injuries on the blast. He breathed steady, tracing the lines over her fingers. “Curtis told me he was having his buddies take some of your furniture.”

       She laughed with an exhale, vibration making her grimace.

       “I don’t want any of it.” She took what she needed, planned to go through it after helping Elena but that’s the thing with Nina’s plans.

Short of infiltrating, incapacitating, and clean up. She fell short on some of the ordinary plans. Prioritizing in a way. Maybe she just wanted to succeed sometimes, take cases where justice could be served by her on others behalf’s.

       “You tryin’ to get rid of us too?” He chuckled but it struck her deeply. “Or just me.” She just needed a break, she herself had been stuck in a fog of confusion. She didn’t see how this hurt her friends but she did see how it would hurt them more if they knew exactly how she had been living. Billy _always_ knew. She had been okay with that until now. Now she was faced with the fact she was still hurting him.

       “I think you misinterpreted some things, Billy.” He didn’t. It was her fault but she needed to figure out where to stand with her entire life again. “I appreciate you checking on me.” She smiled at him, biting her lip but forcing past the pain.  “What are friends for, right?” Nina chuckled as she uncapped the bottle, drinking deep until the blood taste was gone.

       Billy paused, narrowing his eyes slightly at her.

       “Is that what we are--Friends?” He didn’t like it, neither did she but it was best to think when she wasn’t in pain. When she climbed out of the hole she dug herself.

       “I think it’s a good place to start again, Billy.” He stared at their hands for a long time, still tracing the lines of hers. Then he moved his hand to her jaw, she did her best not to wince. He couldn’t know but his hand gently swiping over it made her lean away.

       “As long as we have a start, right?” He stood, looking at the hole in the walls of Elena’s apartment. Not at her. The point of it made and now she had to stick to it. He sighed, turning to look at the ground with his arm outstretched to her. “Come on, you can stay with me.” “N—.” “Just for the tonight…today, whatever.” He looked at the blue hue covering the room and out to the window. He was still tense from her honesty, she expected it to not sit well with him. The reason she put it off for so long.

However, Nina was too tired to refuse an offer this time. Even if he tried to convince her to change her mind it was still better than traveling all the way to her home which laid in one piece and glass free. She was strong willed in defending her decisions anyway.


	15. Flashback - To Do Or Die

       Schoonover had been in bad shape but she had seen worse, having an impromptu and cognizant assistant had also had its perks. Curtis would have been better than her with this. She felt terrible for the nightmares this kid was going to have from this but they were sitting ducks and everyone left had to contribute. Frank had made his way over just as the boy managed to turn on his flashlight to illuminate the area. “Keep it elevated, apply pressure…” Nina ran through a mental checklist under her breath in record time as she fixed the area properly until they could make it out of the goddamn field.

       Frank promised to get them home when she focused on their conversation in front of her, applying pressure over the boy’s hands in guidance. Seconds before knowing what Frank’s intentions were he yelled for cover.

Instinctively Nina had yelled “Covering!” in response before holding her gun up and attempting to follow Frank but being cut short by a spray of bullets at her feet and circled back.

Fighting for her own path as well as Frank’s.

       She had hoped with every bullet fired it was one in Frank’s gain, he made it into the building but out of her sight but it was hard to tell which bullets were his without looking at him.

       She fought as hard as she could to view the people she was _neutralizing_ as people again. Not just enemies or targets but fully fleshed individuals. Only realizing her tunnel vision after the second bomb landed to her right, blowing her back as her eardrum popped and she tasted metal in the earth. Smelled burning flesh and Sulphur. She didn’t recognize where she had landed but as soon as she rose to cough dirt from her mouth she heard the ruthless yelling. Popping of firearms still surrounded the area and she ran to the first cover she saw. Noting it was the same path Frank had taken.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       What was left of their unit had been allowed a short reprieve, until the new guys came in. Nina pondered over how many thousand replacements they could send. This war could last forever if they wanted it to and in her experience, they wanted it to. Certain men thriving on blood that still made her queasy. She couldn’t shake the metallic smell, even after scrubbing it raw in the cold shower her skin felt….t h i c k e r.

       It made her nervous and when she was nervous she drank, knowing Gunner had an extensive stash building up she only drank half of the bottle and left him the rest. It wasn’t even hers to finish but she needed it to not zone out. Keeping her mind unclear and racing. She was pretending to be asleep when most filed in to their beds, the tent was so quiet due to the lack of inhabitants. Desert wind blowing sand was all that moved. She bit her nail, not wanting to think about Agent Orange taking over the care to the injured men she shook her head and adjusted herself. Looking over through slits she noticed most were sleeping already.

       Choosing to take the meds she provided in order to sleep for once. They had earned it. Nina slowly brought her head up to see if Billy had made it to bed through the darkness. His book was on his chest and he was snoring slightly, sliding her legs over the rough fabric of their blankets she set her feet on the thin and cold rubber floor.

       Navigating was difficult and in hindsight she could have just flicked on a light, but she didn’t want to risk anyone, especially Billy, waking. He stirred as Nina gently grasped the book and set it on the bedside table. As she tried to calm her heartbeat Nina took one more glance at the room before slowly sliding into the bed beside Billy. She just wanted something human. Someone not covered in blood screaming for help or cold. He was as warm as their quarters were quiet. The alcohol had helped her make her way over but as it settled she almost let her eyelids fall. He readjusted in his sleep and she had just snuggled further into his arms when she saw it. A small smirk flicker across his face.

       Her hand slapped his chest with a dull thud as his hand held hers there out of instinct. Billy scoffed and opened his hooded eyes to peer down at her, “What’re you doing?” his tone was an accusatory whisper that echoed through the barracks easily and made her feel slightly guilty for finding comfort in him.

All Nina could do was trace his jawline gently, mesmerized by him. His smell, his warmth, all of him and half a bottle of whiskey and she had chipped at the horrors haunting her. That was in the past and this was now.

       Billy had given her a look of bewilderment as he asked her another question, rubbing her arm in reassurance. Nina hadn’t paid attention to answer his question, instead she traced her finger down onto his neck before following it with her lips.

       “Do you wanna kiss me?” she said softly before closing her eyes, leaning in to kiss him without waiting for his reply. Not caring much for the way his eyes glazed over with appreciation but preoccupied with feeling his immediate reaction, which was to kiss back with ferocity.

His hands roaming her body and her own sliding the blanket over them before going for his buckle.

Nina felt her heart finally stop racing and sighed, enjoying the peace and helping Billy strip off her bottoms.

       He faltered slightly and put his thumb on her chin gently, his other hand going for her hip. She had only focused on his shirt until she felt uneasiness at the situation she initiated. Not willing to give up on her distraction regardless of his surprising willingness, Nina reached to guide him into her, feeling control over him momentarily before he gripped her hip to move her slowly.

Nina jerked in sensitivity and moved faster riding him while both their mouths hung open in silent and strangled moans. His hand seemed to gravitate to her hair as he held it back to look over her face in the darkness. His brown eyes seemed to turn darker if possible and she closed her eyes to avoid the intimacy.

       Russo pulled her down for another intense kiss.

       “Slow down.” He whispered, hot breath so close to her hear and his hand on her hip while she sped the pace up even further to reach her own end. Billy’s head rolled back and he groaned, Nina immediately shoved her hand over his mouth to quiet him and closed her eyes to focus on her own orgasm.

        Billy’s eyes snapped open and narrowed at her, pulling her hand from his mouth before returning his hand to her hip and slamming his own up to meet hers a few times. Nina’s hand twisted around his to reach his hair, running her nails over his scalp before threading her fingers tightly through it while her other hand held his shoulder. She bit his shoulder to stop from crying out herself.

       Billy’s eyes became hooded as he clearly preferred this distribution of power, pulling out soon after giving a few more forgiving thrusts. He had half a mind but still moved his hand from her hip and reached down to rub her clit. Just as she hit her first waves of pleasure with a shaky sigh he moved her hips off him, using her slickness he gave his length a few strokes before came on his lean stomach.

       Both panting heavily Billy was the first to make a move, reaching for her hair and brushing a back the dark strands from her face softly before gliding his thumb across her bottom lip. His eyes followed his thumb leisurely. Nina found her bottoms with lightning speed then slipped off of him soundlessly, not wanting to look at his expression.

       She didn’t feel any better, but she didn’t feel worse just…wrong. Cold when she turned to finally sleep on her own cot she softened slightly when Billy tugged on her wrist, motioning for her to come closer she obliged while looking around at their still sleeping team. Caught off guard when he kissed her passionately. His hands traced her face.

       “ _Fuck_  you’re so beautiful” Nina froze at the compliment. Now thinking how willing he was to this happening. It had been impromptu for both of them so why was he making it out to be so natural?

This wasn't supposed to happen.


End file.
